The Savannah tribune. [volume] (Savannah [Ga.]) 1876-1960, 1887-08-06
THE GREAT DRAFT RIOTS.
TERRIBLE OPPOSITION TO CON-
sCRTPTToN IN NEW YoRKIN 1868,

& n Brief Sketch OF the Sanguinary
Resistance to the Draft-Hun-
dreds of People Killed.
~ The difficulty in enforcing the draft
I'm New York might have been foreseen,
indeed, it was, plainly apprehended but
z vt Vt was not thought advisable by the Fed
eeral authorities to materially alter the
regulations of CONSUMPTION in putting the
& law in forcei in that city Still, there can
r be no doubt that the vastly different con-
u ditions then existing in New York from
those in inland towns of the State, or
4 even other seaboard cities, formed the
Il original cause of the trouble. New York
had then much larger population than
any other city, and much greater pro-
= portion OF foreigners among her inhab-
e itants. These, naturally enough, had
q no sentiment of patriotism to aid
n them in submitting to the harsh
{ conditions of CONSUMPTION. Further,
x there were, as there always are in every
large city, great proportion of poor men
8 whose families live from hand to mouth,
and who never have any provision made
for future contingencies To such
families of course the forcible removal of
their bread-winner meant starvation
To such an extent had apprehensipns of
\ this fate of their wives and children been
aroused among the laboring men of the
city especially in those districts largely
i inhabited by foreigners, and no doubt
a melted by those who opposed the draft
1 FOR political reasons-that associations
= were formed to resist the law by force.
On Saturday, July II, 1868, the draft
was begun in the Ninth Congressional
District, locality largely inhabited by
N poor people 1t was carried on without
a interruption or disturbance, but on Sun
Il day secret meetings were held and the
plans of resistance formed. When the
draft was begun on the following morn
ing, mob surrounded the building in
Y which it was held, smashed in the win
u dows, broke down the doors, and, rush
d ing in, destroyed, the furniture and
Z finally set the building on fire. All of the
officers escaped uninjured but one, who
Y was hurt by flying stones The success of
the rioters here added large numbers to
their ranks and in few hours a great
army REINFORCED by all the roughs of
Y the city, was trampling through the
4 streets, burning, destroying, plundering
VI and numbering wherever resistance was
4 offered them. Crowds of women were
/. with them, melting their husbands to
II lawless deeds. At first detachment of
Y marines were sent against them with
4 muskets and blank cartridges When it
was known that their firing produced no
effect the crowd set upon them and beat
them, seriously injuring and even killing
several, Police sent against them were
treated in like manner. The Colored
\ Half Orphan Asylum on Fifth avenue
4 was attacked by an army Of boys the
! children beaten, the place piundered and
4 fred There was no force at hand to
2 defend the city from the rioters but the
4 police, which did valiant service, though
they were not at all able to check the
disorder. On the second day the rioting
was even worse than on the first. Gov
ernoT Seymour having arrived in the
city, issued proclamation in which he
promised the people that the rights of all
4 would be protected, while he warned the
people that he would use all means in his
! power TO preserve order. A few hours later
h he issued another proclamation, in which
he declared the city in state of insur-
rection, and ordered the dispersal of the
mob These proclamations, however,
did but little good. General Wool, the
head of the department of the East,
called out all veteran volunteers, but
there was so little time for organizing
that, though large numbers responded,
they could not be used effectively. A
small command of regular troops from
/ Fort Lafayette did more effective service.
The riot lasted three days, during which
business was entirely suspended The
draft was for the time given up, and the
City Council passed relief bill to pay
i $500 Communication, or substitute money,
for every drafted man of the poorer
classes who had family dependent upon
him 1t was estimated that the number
killed during the riots, or who died of
4 injuries, was nearly 1000, but this was
probably an exaggerated estimate. The
mortality statistics recorded an increase
] of 450 nver the average weekly mortality
! of the year. There was much destruc-
ton of property, and claims for damages
] caused by the riots were brought before
the county authorities to the aggregate
1 of $500, OO0 Many, however were
disallowcd by the examining committee
! but about 81, 500, 600 was finally paid
Chicago Inter Ocean.